Fourths to thomas r



3 Sheets-Sheet I. MORGAN.

(No Model.)

W v GRAVITY BRAKE FOR VEHICLES.

Patented May 2 v m m m d 00 N A G R 0 E W (No Mod l.)

GRAVITY BRAKE FOR VEHICLES.

m w M m 2 H g m QM v. V .II m o o i- O G d ll e M \K P k Gumm- (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

I v v WW5. MORGAN. I

GRAVITY BRAKE FOR VEHIOLES.

No. 496,429. 1 Patented May 2, 1893..

WILLIAM IIENRY MORGAN, or 'ALLI'ANOE, .ouio, ASSIGNOR" or THREE FOURTIIS To" THOMAS R; MORGAN, SR, THOMAS R, MORGAN, .lR., AND JOHN R. MORGAN, orsAMn-PLAon. z a

saw-mm .mt -elem.

srncrrrcarrou forming part of Letters mam. 4985429, dated ne areas.

Application ant manta-n5. maintain new. Memorial.) 9

. To allwhomtit may cance -1w, x Be'it known that. 1, WILLIAM HENRY MOB- @GAN, of Alliance, in the county-of. Stark and y is th'e'electricni'otor B which latter is geared v i v State of Ohio, havejinventedcertain new'and nsefullmprovements in GravityBrak'es for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following" to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others to make and use the same.

skilled in theart to which it appertains to My invention relates toan iinprove rnenti-ngravity brakes designed for electrically propelled machinesand more particularlyfor electricallypropelled twerheadv traveling cranes.

i 5 The overhead traveling cranes actuated by an angular 'shaft'located close to and parallel with one of thetraek railson which-the crane "traveled aref'slow in their movements when l compared with the electric crane, and never 2o attained such a speed that the momentum carried it any appreciable distance after the power transmitting devices were. thrown out of action. With the electric crane considerable speed is'attained and after the current is out off from the motor the momentum atthe crane a con- 7 tained is sufficient to drive siderable distance.

The object of this-invention is to provide a brake that will be automatically brought into' 0 operation the instant the current is broken, and it cpnsistsin the parts and combination of parts as will bemore fully described and pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in transverse section of an overhead traveling crane. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one end of same. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the brake in the I motorcircuit and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in elevation of the brake.

These cranestoi'dinarily are com-posed of twoheavy girders A resting at their ends on cradiesB, thelatterhaving wheels 0, O adapted to run on elevated rails D. The bridge or crane is alsop'rovided with tracks E secured to the girders A and running lengthwise the .hridge'and from one cradle B at one end of the bridge to the cradle on the opposite end. .'.The tracks ,E are for the trolley (not shown) which latter carries the hoistin mechanism -arid is adapted to move. from one bridge'to the other. r i

meshes with the largerz-pinion-b fast on one I endof the It .Securedyto the bridge near one end thereof, 1

by themechan'ism to be now'described tothe driving wheels '0 of the crane for propelling same. .The. motor F is provided on its arms.-

ture shaft, with the pinion 'a which latterend-of the "shaft c. ,This shattc carries at its oppositeend a s'mallpinion d which meshes with the larger pin'ion e fasten the driving shaft G.--- 'The shaft G'extends lengthwise the bridge and-is provided at its. ends (one and only being shown) 'withpinions f meshing with the larger pinions f fast to the driving wheels O; From the-foregoingit will besee'n thatwhen rm etof. the-motor is re-' w t ge is in'motion, and the momen'tnm I acquired is suflicient to keep the bridge moving isoine-timeatter the current has been broken; To bring the bridge to a stop simultaneously with the breaking of the circuit I have provided a gravity brake adapt ed to be held out of operation whenthemotor F is in operation, by anelectro' magnet included in the motorcircuit and energized by the current flowingtheretlirough; This brake consists of alflexiblestrap h secured at I one end to a bracket or other fixed support t, 8 and passing under and partly embracingthe brake wheel H rigidly fastened to the arma-.

ture shaft of the motor; the other end of the strap is secured to a short arm'h' ot lever-I pivoted to the motor frame"; 0n the outerl ends of the pole pieces of the motor F there 4.

is secured an electric magnet "consisting of: 1 two solenoids J yoked together and provided with movable cores Z joined by arr-armature J which moves with said cores, .The lever I go" has its long arm jointed to the center of the armature by means of a sliding pivotal connection. The solenoids are included in the circuit of the motor F so that when the motor is in operation; the current or part of 5 same passes through the solenoids, and energizing them, causes them td drawup the armature thereby moving the leverI on its pivot and moving the brake strap away from the brake wheel H and oifer no resistahlce to the I00 free rotation of the latter. When the circuit through the motor is broken either accidentally or purposely-the solenoids will be deenergized and allow the armature to dropaway from them 'by its own weight, moving the 1 e-' ver I with it. This movement of the lever elevates the short arm 71 thereof and forces the strap into engagement with the brake wheels. The weight of the cores, armatures and long arm of the lever, is snflicient toapply the brake strap to the brake wheel with a force suificientto securely hold the said brake wheel against rotation, and as the brake wheel j is thuslocked, it follows thatthe driving shaft G is also looked, and hence by the time the armature comes to a rest the crane is also brought to rest by the automatic brake.

Ihave described this brake in connection with a travelingcrane, butitcould be applied to other vehicles, suchfor-instance as electric cars, and hence I would have .it understood that I do not confine the application of my device to traveling cranes, nor do I confine myself to the exact details ofcoustruction shown and described, but consider myself at specification in the friction device and carrying an armature on its long arm, and an electro magnetlocated 40 above the armature and in the motor circuit and adaptedto act on the armature to hold the brake out-0f contact with the brake wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gravity brake the combination with, an electric motor and abrake wheel, of a gravity brake consistin essentially of a pivoted lever connected at tsshort arm to a suitable friction device and carrying an armature on its long arm, and an electro magnet located 50 above the armature, the said electro magnet being in the motor circuit and adapted to act on the armature to hold the brake out of contact with the brake wheel when the motor circuit is closed, substantially as set forth.

3; The combination with atruck or frame mounted on wheels, an electric motor for propelling same, and a brake wheel on the armature shaft, of a gravity brake consisting of a flexible strap secured at one end and partly embracing the brake wheel, a pivoted lever the short arm of which is secured to said strap, and an armature secdred to the long arm of said lever and an electric magnet above thearmatnre and in'the motor circuit acting on the armature to hold the strap out of contact with the brake wheel when themotor circuit is closed, substantially as set forth.

In. testimony whereof I have signedthi,

presence of two subscrib 7o ing witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY MORGAN.

Witnesses:

' F.'- E. DUSSEL,

H. W. HARRIS. 

